In today's digital era, the phenomenon of teenagers "aging up" in the online world has become a pressing issue. To address this challenge, Instagram is developing a revolutionary AI age verification technology aimed at more accurately identifying users aged 13 to 17 and incorporating them into a specialized teen account management system.
The crux of this technology lies in the artificial intelligence system independently developed by Meta, Instagram's parent company. If this system can accurately identify adult users, it will significantly enhance platform safety and user privacy protection levels, far exceeding mandatory verification measures implemented by the government at the smartphone level.
Instagram's emphasis on age verification dates back to March 2021, when a report revealed widespread age misrepresentation among young users during registration. Consequently, Instagram began developing a technology that combines human and machine learning to identify users who misrepresent their age during registration. The initial application was to issue warnings to teens when they received private messages from adult users, reminding them to stay safe.
Image source note: The image is generated by AI, authorized by the service provider Midjourney
In June 2022, Instagram partnered with British age verification company Yoti to ensure that users attempting to change their age from under 18 to 18 or older could pass rigorous verification. By December 2022, Meta announced that 96% of teens trying to change their birth date to 18 or older were successfully intercepted. Yoti's technology estimates age by analyzing facial features, but it is important to note that this process does not involve user identification, and all images are deleted immediately after verification to protect user privacy.
Currently, Instagram users can verify their age through various methods, including uploading government-issued identification using Yoti, or through mutual friend verification. Meta's latest AI-driven adult classifier is designed to proactively identify teens who misrepresent their age when creating an account and place them in teen account settings. Instagram spokesperson Stephanie Ottway explained that this technology will more accurately determine a user's real age by analyzing "profile information, account creation time, and interaction patterns."
This AI age verification technology is expected to launch in the U.S. in early 2025. Meta is working diligently to ensure the accuracy of its AI models. However, if the rollout of this technology is slow or ineffective, federal government intervention may be necessary. The proposed "Social Media Child Protection Act" in February 2023 requires social media platforms to mandate users to provide valid identification issued by federal or local governments to prohibit users aged 16 and under from using the platform.
As societal attention to social media continues to rise, Congress has recently advanced the "Children's Online Safety Act." Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, also apologized to the families of victims of online harassment during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year. Under these pressures, Meta advocates for mandatory age verification at the smartphone or app store level, rather than relying on industry-wide standards or unified regulation.
Instagram's initiative reflects the proactive efforts of social media platforms in protecting underage users. However, if these private standards fail to function effectively, federal and state governments may continue to impose stricter requirements through legislation. In the future, how to balance the protection of teens' safety and respect for user privacy will remain a persistent challenge for social media platforms.